A Sydney marriage expert who is a qualified psychologist wrote this personality test. It began as a dinner party conversation gimmick, but it has been prepared in this form for readers to test themselves.

To do the "test" you must give your honest opinion about morals and honesty of the four characters in our story of Sherwood Forest. Forget any preconceived ideas you may about them - this is a different sort of story from all the others.

----------- TEST ------------

"The Sheriff of Nottingham captured Little John and Robin Hood and imprisoned them in his maximum-security dungeon. Maid Marion begged the Sheriff for their release, pleading her love for Robin. The Sheriff agreed to release them only if Maid Marion spent the night with him. To this she agreed. The next morning the Sheriff released his prisoners.

Robin at once demanded that Marion tell him how she persuaded the Sheriff to let them go free. Marion confessed the truth, and was bewildered when Robin abused her, calling her a slut, and saying that he never wanted to see her again. At this Little John defended her, inviting her to leave Sherwood with him and promising life-long devotion. She accepted and they rode away together."

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Now in terms of realistic every-day standards of behaviour, put Robin, Marion, Little John and the Sheriff in the order in which you consider they showed the most morality and honesty.

There is no "right" answer, and the following is the psychologist's estimate of you for each of the 24 arrangements.

I scored Little John first, Robin and Marion equal second, and the Sherriff fourth. This did not appear to be catered for by the good professor's table. The two possibles (JRMS & JMRS) have rather different interpretations, so I'm not sure if either of them fits... (Maybe it's just that I've been hurt by a man? [trying to bat eyelashes and hide beard emoticon])

I scored the Sheriff first-- i didn't really like his proposal-- but he made it, and honored it.

and put Robin last ... and as the test results say..(bold area a truism)

You claim to be a realist or even a cynic, but you are more emotional and romantic and truthful.(Women) You have been hurt in the past by men, or perhaps a particular man - and will probably let it happen again

I put Marian first, because she was willing to suffer in a worthy cause.I put John second, because he did not compromise his principles in any way, and had compassion for Marian. I put Robin third because he was unwilling to accept Marian's sacrifice on his behalf and made her suffering worse by rejecting her. I put the Sheriff last for dishonoring his oath of office and using his power to violate Marian.

My result: Maid (sacrificed for another), John (defended another), Sheriff (kept his bargain, although nothing in the circumstance suggests he could have been made to), and Robin (judgmental prig who hurt the one who sacrificed for him)

The test says:You are essentially a contented person, even if you consider yourself a little superior. You are moral by your own standards, for you believe that morality is what best suits the occasion.(Men) You are sexually uninhibited, more romantic than you may appear, and more dependent on the approval of others than you care to admit.(Women) You like being a woman, you understand what love is, and frankly enjoy sex.

I love the idea, and it was a fun exercise, but some of the estimates seem perhaps a bit too critical, and I sympathize with shanks -- I was torn between LJ-S-M-R and LJ-M-S-R.

Also, for those who felt Little John was not behaving morally, what do you base that on? If we are to disregard what we know of the story, John has no reason to be loyal to Robin. Is it the fact that he took advantage of Marian when she was "on the rebound"?

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